Part I

Jesus called a little child to him one day, and then said to his disciples:

“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

But the Apostle Paul wrote:

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me” (1 Corinthians 13:11).

Are these two teachers giving us mixed messages? Jesus says become like a child; Paul says put childish ways behind you. Which is right?

As I was reading Philip Yancey’s book, Reaching for the Invisible God, I was struck by his thoughts on child-like faith versus childish faith. He writes, “Somehow we must learn to distinguish between appropriate child-like behavior, a prerequisite for the kingdom of heaven, and inappropriate childish behavior, a mark of stunted growth” (page 214).

For those of us who have raised children, we can easily distinguish child-like behavior from childish behavior. When our children are doing child-like things, we find them endearing, lovable. Those are the things we put in the baby book and tell Grandma and Grandpa. Child-like behavior is a beautiful part of the maturing process.

Childish behavior, on the other hand, is not so attractive. Those are the things we don’t enjoy about raising children. Those are the traits and characteristics we dutifully try to eliminate through teaching and correction.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego demonstrated child-like faith when they were facing that fiery furnace. They told King Nebuchadnezzar,

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:16–18).

In child-likeness, these grown men, who were among the most intellectual and educated men of their time, chose not to concern themselves with the great matter of how God would deliver them from the furnace. They neither went into panic mode, nor into denial about the furnace in front of them.

They recognized the reality of their predicament, and then, without questioning or complaining or worrying, they chose to trust God in an uncomplicated, simple way. That is child-like faith.

Let’s enumerate some of the child-like traits that are so appealing:

Child-Like Trust

Children are naturally trusting. They believe you when you make a promise to them. They trust that you will not neglect them and that you will provide for them. It is their nature to trust. Frankly, they don’t have a lot of options, as a rule. They have no means of providing for their own needs. They are dependent on the adults in their lives, and they instinctively trust them.

Child-Like Simplicity

Children keep it simple. They talk in very plain language, simple sentences, and understandable words.

Child-Like Honesty

Children tend to be very honest about their feelings, their desires, their thoughts, etc. Of course, they have a fallen nature and can lie at early ages, too. But they are prone to tell you what they think in a pretty straightforward manner.

A good friend has a four-year-old, Katherine, who is very honest. Rhonda and her husband have been trying to teach her that she needs to be kind as well as honest. In her honesty, she has been known to say rather rude things to people; for instance, telling them they’re fat. So Rhonda told her that if you can say “I like. . .” – like “I like your hair or your dress. . .”­ – then it’s okay to say that to a person. But if not, you should not say what you’re thinking because it wouldn’t be kind.

Her dad was with her checking out at the supermarket recently, and Katherine remembered her mother’s instructions. She looked at the heavy-set man in line in front of them, and said in her honest and rather loud voice, “I think he likes the food he eats very much.”

Children are honest, sometimes to a fault!

Child-like Innocence

Children will believe in things that adults find foolish. They have no difficulty believing in miracles. They don’t let anything interfere with their ability to believe. They have not been tainted with life’s experiences to cause them to become cynical or doubting. They are not double-minded, but in their innocence, they believe fully and without hesitation.

Child-Like Acceptance

If you offer a child a gift, they gladly and quickly accept it. They are not self-conscious about taking the gift you offer, but rather they receive it with great enthusiasm and joy.

Child-Like Thankfulness

Philip Yancey points out in his book that children have no problem giving thanks every day for the ordinary things of life. Their prayers are full of thankfulness for dogs and clouds and their friend next door and new shoes. The ordinary things of their everyday lives are precious and special to them.

Child-Like Lack of Concern

You won’t find many children worrying about the future. For the most part, they live in the moment and enjoy it to the fullest. They don’t borrow trouble from tomorrow.

Examine your own walk with the Lord and ask yourself if you have the kind of child-like faith that Jesus said we all must have.

  • Do you trust the Lord, regardless of what your eyes and ears may tell you? Have you learned to turn your doubts and unanswered questions over to him and simply trust? If you find trusting God difficult, it could be because you haven’t gotten to know him really well. Maybe you have mistakenly thought that God was like your earthly father, who was not trustworthy, or some other authority figure in your life who has failed you. The more you spend time in the Word of God, becoming more and more familiar with the God of creation, the more you understand that he is trustworthy. None of us is likely to trust someone we don’t know very well.
  • Do you keep your faith simple, or do you tend to complicate your walk with God? I see many Christians who have never enjoyed their relationship with God because they keep churning up issues and questions. Every situation they face is complicated by their prolonged and involved reasoning and wrestling.

A woman in a class I was teaching said, “I don’t know why I always end up doing what I know God doesn’t want me to do. I just can’t figure it out.” For several minutes she lamented about why her walk with God was not satisfying, when it seemed so simple to me. She did what she knew God didn’t want her to do and was still puzzled over the results.

I said to her, “You know, it’s not complicated. It might not be easy, but it’s very simple. You simply obey.” Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” If your faith is child-like, you will learn to obey and trust.

  • Are you honest with God? Do you tell God the way it is, or do you try to impress him with your words and phrases? A child-like faith is very open with God. I have learned this from my best friend, Fran, who has always been very open with the Lord. And I note that when we are open with God about ourselves, our feelings, our disappointments, then we are usually honest and open with others as well.
  • Is your faith an innocent one, taking Jesus at his Word? Or are you too worldly-wise and sophisticated to believe Jesus? Think of the centurion who approached Jesus about healing his servant. Think about Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, who asked Jesus to come heal his daughter. Think about Peter stepping out on the water to walk to Jesus. Their faith was child-like. They had no regard for what others thought about them. So what if you think I’m foolish. Jesus can heal my servant. So what if I look ridiculous to you, Jesus can heal my daughter. So what if you’ve never seen anyone walk on water before. Jesus said I could and I’m going to try. That’s child-like faith, and it pleases Jesus so much.
  • Can you accept the gifts God gives you with a thankful heart, with great joy, knowing that it comes from the Father’s heart? Or do you try to repay God, to perform in order to gain his approval and his blessings? Has your faith yet found that child-like quality which says, “I thank you for your blessings,” knowing all the while you didn’t earn them nor do you deserve them. But that’s not the issue. They are gifts from a loving Father and you accept them joyfully. If you are in performance mode, trying to win the Father’s approval, you have not yet learned to enjoy your Father-child relationship.
  • Are you aware each day of the daily blessings of your life? Jesus taught us to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” Do you live in the daily thankfulness—overflowing with thankfulness—because of your daily blessings, or do you take them for granted? Child-like faith is aware of the everyday gifts that God faithfully pours out on us.
  • Can you in child-like faith let go of your worries about tomorrow and cast all your care upon the Lord? Or do you carry that heavy burden around with you all the time? A child-like faith lets God worry about the future, entrusting to him the days ahead. Proverbs 31 describes the godly woman as one who “laughs at the days ahead.” That is a child-like quality, and it is beautiful.

It’s pretty obvious that child-like faith is where we need to be, remembering that, if we’re born from above through faith in Christ, we are God’s children, and we have a trustworthy Father God. You may have difficulty relating to God as your Father—perhaps because of a negative experience with your earthly father—but I hope you’ll remember that God our Father is the perfect Father and he wants you to draw near to him in child-like faith.